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There’s a lot to do in this desert destination
Sedona, Arizona, is a spiritually significant, stunningly beautiful desert destination. But beware… It’s HOT in the summertime! We traveled to Sedona in August – one of the hottest months of the year – not necessarily by choice, but because that’s when we had time off work. I’m not sad we went then, but we definitely learned a thing or two.
First, plan your activities based upon the time of day. Second, drink LOTS of water.
Before heading to Sedona
Hike Camelback Mountain
[Click on images to enlarge]
If flying to reach Sedona, you’ll be flying into the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. From there, you’ll need to rent a car to make the 2-hour drive to Sedona.
If you like to hike and are up for a challenge before making the drive, consider a hike up Camelback Mountain. Definitely go prepared though. Depending on the time of year, consider these tips:
- Start your hike early in the day (especially if it’s a hot time of year)
- Wear appropriate hiking shoes. You’d be surprised how many people we saw early on the trail with flimsy sneakers or sandals. Not only is that asking for injury, but it’s not setting you up for success in getting very far up the mountain.
- TAKE WATER. I can’t say that enough.
- Wear sunscreen. Phoenix is in the desert and so the sun is strong and hot.
- Wearing a hat is a good idea as well.
- Wear gloves. This was something we didn’t know, but quickly learned from some locals we met on the trail. The hike is steep and rocky and only occasionally shaded. There are handrails to help in some areas, but they are nearly impossible to hold in the heat without gloves.
If you go prepared and make it to the summit, you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of Phoenix and Scottsdale.
Where to eat
After our early-morning flight to Phoenix, we were ready for breakfast before we set off on the hike. Based on a recommendation, we headed to Rosita’s Place, an amazing, no frills, hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant that made THE BEST breakfast burritos. One hundred percent recommend!
Where to stay
We stayed at the Hilton Vacation Club Sedona Summit and loved it. The resort is about a 10-minute drive to downtown Sedona, just far enough away from the city lights to get REALLY dark at night. Rooms have air conditioning (essential in Sedona in the summer) and kitchenettes (nice for making breakfast before a day of hiking).
There are multiple swimming pools and hot tubs on the property; as well as BBQ areas, walking trails and a fitness center.
At night, you can take a walk just off the property to the Cultural Park Trailhead (about 1/4 mile) and do some stargazing.
Eating in Sedona
There are many great places to eat in Sedona. Ask the concierge at your hotel for a list of recommendations to get started.
From that list, our first day in Sedona, we picked the Mesa Grill for brunch. It was great! Located on Airport Road, it was very close to the Airport Loop Trailhead (our planned hike for the day). The brunch menu had the usual dishes you might expect, plus several options with a Southwest flair.
Later, as we hiked the Airport Loop Trail, we were inspired by all the prickly pear cacti lining the trail. From that point on, we were on the lookout for food and drink choices with a prickly pear twist.
Travel tip: Learn what foods are special to the area and find opportunities to try them (ex., prickly pear in Sedona, deep-dish pizza in Chicago, lobster rolls in Maine).
- At the Cowboy Club Grille & Spirits in the heart of downtown, you can try cactus fries with prickly pear dipping sauce
- Find homemade prickly pear ice cream – perfect for a prickly pear sundae – at the Black Cow Cafe
- Enjoy a prickly pear cocktail at the Creekside American Bistro while enjoying the red rock views from their outdoor seating area
Things to do in Sedona
Red Rocks & Spiritual Experiences
Sedona is reportedly home to five powerful vortex sites – areas said to have a strong spiritual connection with the Earth’s energy. During this trip, we visited two of them:
Airport Mesa Hike
Much like our Camelback Mountain hike, the day we hiked around the Airport Mesa was HOT, but this time we were more prepared. My ChicoBag travel pack was filled with water and sunscreen!
- Start with a quick trip up the Summit Trail from the Airport Trail parking lot. At the top of this short trail is a 360 degree view of the valley below.
- The Airport Loop Trail itself is a 3.3-mile trek with views of the iconic Snoopy Rock, Chimney Rock, and Coffee Pot Rock, just to name a few.
Chapel of the Holy Cross
It’s not hard to understand why the Chapel of the Holy Cross is considered one of Sedona’s premier vortexes. Inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, the church is built into the rocky cliffs of Sedona. It’s open to the public so, after admiring the beauty and tranquility of the church and its surrounding views, feel free to step inside. Whether you believe in God or not, there is a powerful sense of peace within the Chapel.
Guided & VIP Tours
We were in self-guided explorer mode on this trip, but there are options for some amazing guided tours by railway, jeep and other modes of transportation. Checkout these from Viator as you start building your travel itinerary:
Slide Rock State Park
If you visit Sedona during the warm months, plan to spend a day at Slide Rock State Park – home to the old Pendley Homestead and historic apple farm in Oak Creek Canyon. Today, visitors can hike, picnic or go for a swim down the 80-foot-long natural water slide.
Day trips from Sedona
Cottonwood
Kayak on the Verde River
Cottonwood, Arizona, is about a 20-minute drive from Sedona and a great spot to do something less heat-stroke-inducing than a desert hike. Here, you can enjoy a day on the water with a kayak trip down the Verde River.
You’ll be bussed to the launch site a few miles up river. On our bus ride, our guides promised a surprise when we got there. As the kayaks were unloaded, they announced that squirt guns were the surprise! Not everyone was excited about the idea of squirt guns, but by halfway down the river, everyone in our group was in on the fun.
The Verde River features easy float sections, a few short class 1 rapids, and two super fun class 2 sections. If you’ve never kayaked and the idea of “white water rapids” makes you nervous, don’t worry. The guides are skilled and there to help make the trip safe and fun.
Eat, shop and walk
N Main Street in Cottonwood is lined with cute little shops, restaurants and bars. We also found an unexpected lush oasis where you can escape the heat of downtown for a few minutes.
After the float, grab a bite to eat in downtown Cottonwood. We headed to Adriana’s – the favorite of one of our guides. As promised, Adriana herself served us up Ferrari margaritas and loaded nachos that were delicious. There are also several other restaurants and bars, some of which had live music and outdoor seating areas.
The downtown shops closed early, but we were still able to wander through a few and found some fun desert-inspired souvenirs.
At the end of Main Street is the Jail Trail River Walk. It’s a loop trail, a little more than a mile and a half long, along the Verde River and out to Dead Horse Ranch State Park. The trail is mostly flat and shaded, providing a welcome respite from the heat of the day.
For an enhanced kayak experience, consider this tour:
Flagstaff
Another fun day trip from Sedona is Flagstaff, Arizona. Roughly 2,700 feet above Sedona in the San Francisco Peaks mountain range, Flagstaff is a cute mountain university town, filled with things to do. And, unlike the red rock desert scene in Sedona, you’ll enjoy cooler temperatures, surrounded by pine and aspen trees and so many wildflowers!
Historic Route 66
For a bit of fun and nostalgia, get your kicks on Route 66. A section of historic Route 66 runs right through the center of town. Walk along the highway where you’ll find murals, coffee shops, craft breweries and boutique shops.
Snowbowl gondola
Not far from downtown Flagstaff, you can take a gondola ride to the top of Agassiz Peak – the second-highest point in Arizona at 11,500 ft. elevation! On a clear day (like the one we were lucky enough to experience) you can see 60 miles to the rim of the Grand Canyon! In the winter months, Snowbowl operates as a ski resort; in the summer months, it’s a stunning lookout point.
Lowell Observatory
Another fun thing to do in Flagstaff is explore space at the Lowell Observatory. Any day of the year, an observatory can be fun and educational, but we happened to time our visit to include something extra special (totally by accident).
It just happened that the night we were in Flagstaff, the Observatory was hosting a Saturn viewing event. Before the sun went down, we learned about Lowell Observatory’s role in the discovery of Pluto – “Planet X.” After dark, we got to do even more, including:
- View the moon up close through the Observatory’s historic Clark 24” refractory telescope, built in 1896
- Observe nebulae and star clusters thousands of light years from Earth
- And see Saturn – really, REALLY see Saturn – in all its ringed glory, surrounded by its many moons
Of course days like that don’t happen all the time, but that’s the beauty of being open to opportunities. When they present themselves, seize them! You never know what you might find.